Here is what you need to know on this Wednesday, September 4, five days before the Redskins open up their season against the Eagles at FedEx Field.

Nickel coverage

1. I have been getting some Twitter comments from fans that range from annoyed to borderline hostile to RG3 because they were tired of hearing him talk about his knee rehab and talking about/creating the surrounding drama. Griffin has his first press conference in two weeks this afternoon at about 3:00. There will be some talk of that in today’s press conference and some questions about all of the parties involved not being on the same page (or reading from the same book, for that matter). But there will be questions about the upcoming game against the Eagles. After this afternoon, the next time we talk to him will be at about 10:30 p.m. on Monday and there will be a game to talk about. If plays as well as I think he will all the talk of concerns and being superhuman and not understanding the program will quickly become distant memories. (Note: You can see RG3’s press conference today live on Comcast SportsNet at 3:20.)

2. Meanwhile, amidst all of the noise surrounding the quarterback position and the speculation over who the backup running backs will be, Alfred Morris is, well, being Alfred. We didn’t have a chance to hear much from him in training camp because he was out on the field signing autographs for kids long after the media had to go to attend press conferences. He’s been available in the locker room, just one of the guys, praising RG3’s rehab and the offensive line and the coaches and everybody but himself. He hasn’t been on the top of fans’ consciousness this offseason and that suits him just fine. Everyone will be reminded what a big part of this team he is when Monday night rolls around.

3. It is likely that the Redskins will have to make one of their four running backs inactive for Monday’s game against the Eagles. The unofficial depth chart lists Chris Thompson as the fourth-string tailback but don’t look for him to be watching in sweats on Monday night. Thompson is at the top of the chart at both punt and kickoff returner. He might not do both but he is likely to be the punt returner. If that’s the case, then Evan Royster, the No. 3 running back, is a candidate for the inactive list.

4. I don’t talk much with power ratings but for those of you who get worked up when the Redskins end up getting ranked lower than you think they should here is one that should soothe you to some extent. The ESPN power ranking poll has the Redskins 10th, fifth best in the NFC and ahead of all of the other teams in the NFC East (Giants 12th, Cowboys 18th, Eagles 25th). Every team ahead of them had at least as good a record as the Redskins did last year and all but one advanced further in the playoffs. That seems pretty reasonable to me. They could well end up outperforming that ranking once they start playing but based on last year and everything we know it’s hard to give them a higher ranking right now.

5. Mike Vick may not be the ideal quarterback for Chip Kelly’s offense. Not too long after Kelly became the Eagles’ head coach he discussed his offensive philosophy. Part of it was a quick passing game. Kelly said that he wanted his quarterback to get his passes off in 1.6 seconds. According to Pro Football Focus, Vick took an average of 3.6 seconds to get his passes out of his hand during the preseason.

Stat of the day

—Of the 53 players who are on the Redskins’ roster, 11 are new to the organization since the end of last season. A total of 17 were not on the opening 53-man roster in 2012.

One of the most amazing (no, check that – amusing) things I hear from my friends and other fans about the 2013 Redskins is all of the hoopla surrounding RG III. Granted, his high profile position and rehab progress from the injury are certainly newsworthy, but it’s been so overdone it’s ridiculous. What I notice they haven’t even touched on is that the WHOLE TEAM looks good! Sure, there are potential weak spots, but what Coach Mike and his staff have done is put together a bunch of seriously talented playmakers who have formed a cohesive and explosive team. I am so excited, and I can’t wait to see them play. Although nobody knows what to expect on Monday night, I think the ‘Skins will torch the Eagles (as long as they contain Jackson – No. 10).